Marine A: James O'Brien @LBC

James' first discussion of the day and as usual, some good quality callers to the show saying why they either support the action against this marine or why they don't.

My interest was in the "we are better than them" line from James. If we (meaning those embracing western ideology), are better than them, then we have to be better than them all the time and not change our morals when it suits us, one caller suggested. Having moral superiority and moral high ground, two things James suggested we have here in the UK, are what I am struggling with.

Do we really have the moral high ground in western society? I'm not just considering the absence of barbaric killing as an indicator of a better society, because we do our fair share of barbarism just not on our own shores. I'm looking at all of society across the board.

I'm looking at our teenage pregnancy rate... our prison system... our binge drinking culture... the sexualisation in our music culture that young kids copy.. . our ability to ignore the most vulnerable people in our society... elderly... disabled... orphans and mentally I'll.

Are we morally superior? Are we better? Do we have freedom? Or are we in the west, trapped in our own version of slavery to capitalism and commercialism. How is that freedom? That's just another form of dictatorship with the allusion of freedom of choice.

It's not as black and white and that's the reason we can't stomp into another country, take down a despot then attempt to change their system of governance claiming our western democratic way is better. Imposing on them something that will never work and leave pridefully thinking we've done a good job.

Since becoming a Muslim and experiencing the morals taught from an Islamic point of view. Proper Islam, not some half-ass version spouted by some armchair scholar or misguided nom. It reinforces my decision that I made a few years ago to revert and I look at the lost western society in which I live and feel sad.

The UK constantly puts itself in other countries' business with a prideful superiority that has proven to be illegal and disastrously wrong on more than one occasion. We side with evil dictators when it suits us financially, leave despots in power when they have nothing we need, like oil and then we wonder why we get kickbacks and bring trouble to our yard.

We are not better, we are no better and we have enough affairs of our own to be dealing with, getting right, treating right those in our own country, to be meddling in the affairs of dragons.

Donald Drumpf wouldn't have worked so well

When this whole Donald Trump thing blew up about him advocating banning all Muslims from the US, my initial reaction was a momentary "ugh" of recognition for his ignorance and stupidity. Then I lost interest as would be expected of any rational person.  Then when the petition to ban him from the UK gathered momentum, I didn't understand why people were being so serious about it all but I enjoyed the comedy of others pointing out the cataclysmic holes in his logic and learning about other disturbing comments he's made, like the one about his daughter! Now I'm decidedly undecided as to whether to take his comments about banning Muslims seriously or not.

On one hand, his views on most things are unintelligent to the point where they're funny even and you kind of get the feeling everyone must realise that right? On the other hand,  he's finding popularity with those backward Americans who think as he does and by him speaking out, have been afforded validation in their own bigoted views. 

Then there are those people who reject most of what he says but join with him on this particular issue because they see a terrorist behind every brown-skinned beardy-man and hijabi clad woman and feel that he, at least, would do something to alleviate their anxiety in trying to reject all suspected Muslims from entering their country. What the heck he does about Muslims born in America I have no idea. I imagine living in a country with such bad feeling towards your whole religion and way of life, they'd be avoided/ostracized at best and attacked/killed at worst.

Too far? I don't know. The kind of people who feel this way only need a few others to agree with them and before you know it you've got a mob intent on 'eliminating terrorism' for the sake of National Security. Isn't that what Trump is advocating?

Ironically isn't he causing terror by his proposed actions? How many American Muslims feel fear at the hate being stirred up against Islam and against them as Muslims? Probably the majority I would guess. How many have witnessed or experienced increased incidents of verbal or physical hate towards them more recently?

I certainly have in the UK. I'm glad actually...I'd rather know exactly what's there and deal with it, than it bubbling under the surface while people dance around with acceptable terms suppressing what they really think and feel.

Let him in, invite him on James O'Brien show @LBC let's see if he can respond to reason and logic. If not, then James can at least have some fun!